The Dead Waltz
by Roxey
Summary: Ever since that fateful accident nine months ago, Elena has wandered through life as a shell of what she use to be. But there is one who longs to wake her from the dead waltz she has fallen into. Will he be able to?
1. Chapter 1

Hello all! It's my second Elena fic! Sorry if the beginning seems a bit muddled at first. I assure you that it will all make sense in due time. Oh, and sorry if it's starting out a bit slower. This one is a little bit darker than my last one. Well, that said, enjoy!

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Round and round. The dancers circled the black and white marble dance floor in time with the waltz. Not a word was spoken. Faces solid, hidden behind black satin masks. 

There was nothing to distinguish one woman from another, one man from another. They all moved in the same methodical pattern, swooping at the right times. Spinning at the right times. Not a sound besides the gentle swishing of satin ball gowns and the dark waltz that filled the cavernous room.

It was as if it all was apart of a show. A play. An intricately choreographed dance that held it's dancers captive. It was this dance that trapped Elena in numbness. It was easier than dealing with the pain. But there was one person, someone who wanted desperately to break her from the Dead Waltz that she was trapped in. One partner, who longed to pull her from the monotony of the dance and show her the beauty and joy of dancing free. But was it worth the pain to break free?


	2. The Monotonous Waltz

I've gone through and done some editing, so here's Chapter two, version 2.0!

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Each morning was the same. The alarm went off at 6 a.m. precisely. Elena woke up, turned the alarm off and proceeded to get ready for her day. She showered and dressed in her suit, making sure every button was in place and her tie was perfectly straight. She styled her impeccably blonde hair and made sure no strand was out of place. She then started her coffee pot and made her large bed, making sure all the corners were tucked under and the pillows place precisely where she wanted them. 

She then walked into her spotless kitchen and got herself a cup of coffee and drank it black while she browsed through the newspaper that was always left sitting on her doorstep in the morning.

It was the same every morning. Nothing ever changed her rigid scheduled. Not even her line of work.

Once her coffee was finished, she would leave for work. Always arriving a good 15 minutes before everyone else in the office, save Tseng, who she tried to ignore as much as possible. Since their falling out nearly a year ago, she avoided speaking to him and running into him into the office. The experience left her broken in both her heart and spirit. Of course, what happened nearly a year ago outside of Tseng's tactless rejection was more of the reason for her sterile behavior. But Elena didn't think about that.

Upon arrival to the office, Elena sat at her desk and began booting up her computer. She would go through her emails and by the time she finished, Rude and Reno would have arrived. Then it would be time for the morning briefing. A part of her morning routine that used to be so painful to her. Though, now that she was numb to any feeling whatsoever, it didn't seem to have quite the same effect as it use to.

Rude quietly entered the room and walked to his desk. He nodded in Elena's direction, acknowledging the young, blonde woman as she sat statuesque at her computer. Elena nodded back. It was long after he entered that Reno came bounding in the office, shirt untucked and tie missing, laughing about some adventure he went on the night before at some bar. Elena raised an eyebrow to his entrance and then turned back to her computer.

"Does anyone ever listen to me?" Reno asked as he slumped down into his chair. Elena rolled her eyes and glanced over at Rude. She was sure that she could see the older man rolling his eyes behind his dark sunglasses.

"It's time for the morning briefing," Tseng said as he walked briskly into the Turks' main office. The three Turks turned and looked at him, none of them noticing his entrance. Elena stood quietly and began following him into the large office that overlooked the city. Reno walked in behind her, stretching.

"Ah, I shouldn't have stayed out so late," he complained as he yawned. Rude followed Reno in and stood silently next to the gregarious red head. Tseng walked over to his desk and picked up a manila envelope.

"Reno, Rude, you two will be checking in on this case. Apparently, there some problems with a new street gang emerging," he said as he handed the envelope to Rude. "I trust that you two will take care of this by tomorrow at the latest," he said. Rude nodded as Reno began reaching for the envelope.

"Sure thing, boss," he said as he pulled it from Rude's hand and started opening it.

"Elena," Tseng said crisply, turning his eyes to the petite blonde. Elena stared back, her brown eyes stone.

"Yes, sir?" she asked.

"I need you to take these reports up to the president," he said, turning to his desk and reaching for a file folder. "And then when you get back, you can continue typing up the reports from the last few missions." Elena nodded and reached out for the file folder. Tseng quickly handed it to her and turned to sit behind his large desk.

"You are dismissed." Reno and Rude left the room, Elena following behind.

"Hey, sorry you have to stay in the office again," Reno said, as he fell in step with her. Elena shrugged.

"I don't mind," she said mechanically. Reno looked down at her.

"Tseng's being an ass if you ask me. Seriously, what happened was almost a year ago, and I seriously doubt anything like that will happen again. He should let you out. Being in this office is taking a toll on you," he said as they stopped at Elena's desk. Elena looked up at her co-worker.

"I don't mind," she repeated hollowly. Reno sighed and turned to walk away. It hurt to see his once eager co-worker so dead inside. All because of that stupid accident.

"Whatever. Don't have too much fun filing and dropping stuff off at the President's office," he said flippantly as he and Rude walked out of the office. He was sure that he was the only one besides Rude who hadn't given up on Elena returning to how she use to be.

Elena watched the duo leave and then gathered up the file folder Tseng had given her. She hated going up to the President's office. It took forever and interrupted the flow of her meticulously scheduled day. But there was nothing she could do about it but to get it over with. Elena disliked anything that disrupted her day.


	3. A Ripple in Monotony

Again, Chapter Three, 2.0. Just a few minor edits! Enjoy! Oh, and thanks ardenilia for the lovely review!

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Up she went. Up the several floors to the President's office, glancing every so often at her watch to see that another minute had gone by. Elena sighed and watched the numbers light up as each floor was reached and then passed. She refused to tap her foot in impatience. Only those who couldn't control their patience did that, and she was in control of everything in her life.

Finally, the doors opened. She was there. She stepped into the immense foyer and immediately headed towards the large secretary's desk that sat outside the office.

"These are reports from Tseng. He wished for me to bring them to the President's office," she said calmly as she sat them down in front of the mousy woman behind the desk. The woman looked up at her and smiled nervously.

"Thank you, I'll make sure the President receives them," she said quietly. Elena nodded and turned to leave. Finally, she could get back to her real work.

"Elena, could you come here for a moment. And bring the reports with you," a voice from behind her said. Elena stopped and turned around to see President Shinra standing in his opened door, smiling warmly at her. She nodded and began walking to his office, pausing momentarily to pick up the file folder. This is exactly what she didn't need. Another distraction from her work.

She walked into the large office and stood about five feet away from the massive desk that Rufus was now seated behind.

"Please, take a seat," he offered. Elena nodded, mentally complaining. Taking a seat meant that she would be here for a longer time span than she wished. Her eyes flinted to the large wall of windows behind the desk. She would have been impressed by their construction, or entranced by the view of the bustling city below, but it didn't have an effect on her. The new Shinra company building was not nearly as ostentatious as its predecessor, but it was no secret that the President enjoyed viewing the city from above. Elena was tempted to fidget in her seat, but sat still as stone instead, her brown eyes cold as they met the President's eyes. He was studying her, but Elena couldn't figure out why. She was just a nameless, faceless Turk who had yet to leave the office on a mission since the accident. It was pathetic, really, but Elena forced all feeling from her mind on the issue. She liked the monotony of her days. They were comfortable. This unexpected visit with the President disrupted her monotony and she felt threatened by it.

"I'm glad to see that you healed up well from the accident," he said warmly. "How long have you been back in the office?"

"Nearly six months, sir," she said mechanically. Rufus nodded.

"I must admit, I'm embarrassed that I haven't checked on you sooner," he said. "Six months is too long," he murmured. Elena wasn't sure if it was more to himself or to her. She swallowed, concentrating on the numbness throughout her body. The only thing more uncomfortable to her than breaking up her routine was bringing up the incident.

"I trust that Tseng took it easy on you for the passed few months," he asked, trying to read her. Elena nodded.

"Yes, sir. I have been working in the office, writing up reports for the passed six months," she said. Rufus frowned.

"You're not back out in the field yet?"

"No, sir." Rufus sat up and reached for his phone.

"Well, then, we'll have to change that. I'm sure you are anxious to get back to real work," he said, picking it up and starting to dial. Elena froze. Back out in the field. No. She didn't want to go back out in the field. It brought back too many memories. The self-inflicted numbness would disappear if they put her back into the field. And then she would have to feel the pain again.

"No, sir. Please. I enjoy it in the office," she said, willing her voice to stay calm. Rufus stopped and looked at her.

"I'm sure that couldn't possibly be true. You loved working in the field. I'll just put in a word with Tseng-,"

"NO!" Elena shouted. She gripped the edges of the file folder, bending the thick cardstock. Her once cold eyes were wild with fear. Rufus paused and stared at her, fascinated by her outburst. Elena fought to control the emotions beginning to well up within her. It was shocking and painful, feeling something, anything, since the accident. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, starting to retain her shell.

"Please, sir. I don't believe I'm ready to go out in the field again," she said when she opened her eyes. They had regained their cold, dead gleam. Rufus set the phone down and watched the young woman across from him, amazed that she could retreat within herself so smoothly.

"But thank you for thinking of me, President Shinra," she said robotically as she stood. "Here are the reports. If you'll excuse me, I have more reports to finish," she said as she placed the slightly crumpled file folder on his desk. Rufus nodded.

"Yes, thank you, Elena. You are dismissed," he said quietly, unable to take his eyes off her. He watched her turn and walk out of the office, her cold confidence trailing behind her, chilling the room. He shook his head, wondering exactly what had happened that day nine months ago that would have had such a drastic effect on the once eager, young Turk. This was not good. This cold-shoulder-to-the-world mentality was not good for Elena, for anyone. Rufus picked up the phone and dialed.

"Yes, Tseng. This is Rufus...would you send up Rude and Reno at their earliest convenience?...Yes, I understand. Send them in as soon as they come to check in. Thank you," he hung up. He was determined to figure out what happened exactly. To find what wasn't in the reports. Then maybe he would understand this change in Elena and how to reverse it.


	4. Back to Schedule

The next chapter! Sorry it's a little short. The next one is a little short too, but I promise that chapter five will be a good long one! Enjoy!

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Elena waited until she was alone in the elevator before she allowed her body to shudder. She didn't understand what was wrong. Why the President's questioning would have such an effect on her. Why, after all these months of living in numbness, that now would be the time her feelings would choose to resurface. She leaned against the wall of the elevator and took a deep breath. She would not let the pain come back. She made that decision long ago, right after the accident. If escaping the pain meant shutting out all feelings and emotions, than so be it. She wouldn't let the President or anyone get to her like that again. Never.

It wasn't long before Elena reached the floor where her office was located. She walked in and settled into her desk, anxious to get back on schedule. The meeting with the President had put her off and she needed to get back on track.

Tseng looked up from his desk. He could see Elena sitting at her desk, typing away at the computer, deciphering all of Reno's indecipherable notes and entering them in a more readable format. He sighed. She was only a shell of what she use to be. He could remember the days when she would come into the office, eager and ready to go out into the field. Ready to bring down the bad guys. Her enthusiasm for the job was worse than Reno's, but unlike the unruly redhead, she had a penchance for following rules. He hated what the accident had done to her. Hated that he had a part in what turned her into the robotic Elena that she was now. That's why he never sent her out into the field. He knew she was afraid. It was the only way he felt he could make up for the words he said to her that day.

"Seriously, Rude, you need to come to this bar with me! I swear you'll like it!" Reno exclaimed as he and Rude burst into the quiet office. Elena looked up at the two briefly and then turned back to her work. Rude walked over and sat at his desk. He brought up a search engine as Reno looked over his shoulder.

"Elena will come with me, won't you, sweetheart?" Reno asked, grinning at the stoic blonde. Elena looked up.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," she said calmly before turning back to her work.

"What? Does no one here know how to have fun anymore?" he exclaimed in mocked frustration. Tseng couldn't help but snicker at the redhead's antics. It seemed as though he were trying doubly hard nowadays to get the office atmosphere back to what it used to be before the accident. The poor soul. Tseng straightened up and walked out into the office.

"Rude, Reno, the president said that he wished to see you at your earliest convenience," he said, standing just outside his office door. Rude looked up from the computer and nodded. Reno grinned and looked down at Rude.

"What did you do to get us in trouble this time?" he asked as he began walking to the door of the office. Rude just rolled his eyes and followed his exuberant co-worker. "Don't work too hard, Elena!" Reno shouted right before Rude pushed him out the door. Elena never took her eyes off the screen, though her fingers slowed their frantic pace. Tseng watched her silently, as she stared unfeeling at the computer screen. She shook her head slightly and then began her frantic typing again. Tseng sighed and turned back into his office. Would they ever see the old Elena again?


	5. A Visit with the President

Hey all. I did some minor editing with this chapter. Not a whole lot changed, but it was bugging me. Enjoy!

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Reno and Rude walked into the President's office. Reno quickly walked over to the first of the two chairs and made himself comfortable. Rude nodded and quietly sat in the other. 

"Thanks for coming in," Rufus said as he sat up in his chair.

"To what do we owe the honor," Reno asked, sitting up as well.

"It's been brought to my attention that Elena has not, healed, as well as we thought after the accident," he said cautiously. Reno looked at him warily.

"She's recovered just fine. What's it to you?" he asked. Rufus could sense Reno's distrust. "You're not laying her off, are you?" Rufus laughed, glad to know the source of Reno's caution. He shook his head.

"I have no plans to let Elena go. She has been very productive since she has returned. I was hoping to move her back out into the field, actually," he said. Reno's face lit up.

"I don't find that advisable, sir," Rude said, finally deciding to break his silence. Reno looked over at him and glared.

"Why? She's ready for it. It would do her some good to get out of the office," he said loudly. "You've seen what she's been like, lately."

"She's terrified of going back into the field," Rude said simply.

"So I've noticed," Rufus said with a heavy sigh. Both Reno and Rude turned to look at the President. "I spoke with her this morning. Just mentioning that it was time for her to go back out into the field evoked quite the strong reaction from her," he said. "I've been watching her for months, and I'm not liking what I'm seeing. Surprisingly, it was nice to see any sort of reaction from her this morning, even if it was a reaction of fear."

"She hasn't been quite the same ever since...the accident," Reno agreed.

"That's why I asked you two here," Rufus said. "I want to know what happened." Reno and Rude looked at each other.

"Sir, we put everything in the report," Rude said. Rufus glanced at an open file on his desk.

"And I've read through it, but I think there's something missing. I want to know what happened to Elena. From your point of view," he said, looking at the two Turks. Rude nodded as Reno glanced down at the floor.

"Why do you care?" Reno asked, not out of spite, but more because he couldn't understand why the President would want to involve himself in this matter. Elena was one in a hundred Shinra employees.

"Because, I've been watching her the last few months and I, I can't stand seeing her like this," Rufus said softly. "It's not right for anyone to retreat into themselves like that." Reno nodded, satisfied with the answer.

"Well, Elena seemed distraught before we ever left for the mission. I don't really know what happened, but I could tell she was having a hard time focusing. And that's not like Elena at all..."


	6. The Accident

Okay, so I had to go back and do some more editing. I've got part of the ending written and somethings weren't matching up so a few changes had to be made. :) Thanks for the reviews!

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"_Hey, Elle, what's wrong? You seem out of it," Reno said as he looked at the petite blonde sitting in the front seat next to him. She was staring out the window listlessly. "Elena?" he said again. Elena jumped and looked over at him. She gave him a small, sad smile. _

_"Eh, it's nothing I can't get over," she said lightly. Reno lightly punched her on the shoulder. _

_"Cheer up, kid. The world's a brighter place when you smile," he said brightly. Elena laughed and raised a manicured eyebrow at him._

_"Now, that was corny," she said. Reno shrugged._

_"I guess I'm a corny sort of guy," he said. Elena rolled her eyes and turned to looking out the window again. _

_"We're here," Rude said from the back seat. Elena sat up and gently patted the gun in her shoulder holster. This was a simple reconnaissance mission. There was no need to use firepower, but she still felt anxious, like something bad was bound to happen. Reno parked the car in front of the dilapidated storefront and got out. Rude and Elena followed. _

_"Well, isn't this a lovely abode," the redheaded Turk joked. Elena glared at him, silently telling him to shut up._

_"We're supposed to find the whereabouts of their headquarters and then bring in the squealers. No overkill this time, Reno," Rude warned. Reno laughed and walked to a broken down door. _

_"What? Me? Overkill? Whatever are you talking about?" he said as he kicked the door open. Elena rolled her eyes again. So much for a quiet entrance. She quickly pulled out her gun and made sure the safety was off. The Turks entered the building, garnering anxious stares from the few people that loitered around. _

_"What's this about!" an ancient man said as he waddled out from behind a wood counter. "You're disruptin' my business!" Reno smiled and walked up to the old man._

_"And I'm sorry about that. We're looking for the whereabouts of a Gin, you know, leader of an evil terrorist cell," he said lightly. The old man's eyes widened as Elena rolled her eyes. Once again, Reno was not one for subtlety. _

_"I don't know what you're talking about," he said quickly. "Now get out of my store." Reno laughed and glanced back at Rude and Elena. He nodded his head towards the back of the store and turned towards the man._

_"Now now, let's not get all huffy. We just want to have a little talk with Gin and we were told that you knew where we could find him," he said. Elena and Rude began moving towards the back of the store. The shopkeeper eyed them suspiciously. _

_"I don't know who you are talkin' about!" he shouted again. "What are they doing?" he yelled frantically as the two Turks walked around the counter and disappeared into the back room. "They won't find anything back there but storage!"_

_"Reno! I've got something!" Elena shouted. Reno looked down at the old man._

_"And I thought you said there was nothing back there but storage," he said as he laughed. "You might want to get out of here before the fireworks start," he said before sauntering off to the back. He could hear the scuffling of feet as the few people in the shop hurriedly left through the broken front door. He walked back to the room and found Rude and Elena staring at a trap door. _

_"It was hidden under those potato sacks," she said. Reno shrugged._

_"Well, then. Why don't we drop in on our hosts," he said with a smile. Elena smiled at Reno's pun and stepped back._

_"After you," she said. Despite her warm smile, Reno could tell that it didn't quite reach her eyes. There was something there in her eyes. Something not right. Reno tried to shake the thought from his head as he pulled open the trap door and jumped in. Now was the time to focus on the mission, not worry about Elena's emotional state. She was tough. She could take care of herself. He heard a dull thud and then a lighter thud. Rude and Elena were behind him. _

_"Let's go," he whispered, pulling out his electric rod. They walked carefully through a dark, dusty hallway. Voices could be heard ahead of them. They came to a corner and Reno peered cautiously around it._

_"Okay, so apparently this is the headquarters we were looking for. I can't believe we found it so easily," he whispered. "This doesn't seem right."_

_"So, do you want to sneak in or take the usual approach?" Rude asked. Reno peeked around the corner a second time, assessing the room. _

_"There are only Three people, but one is a woman," he whispered. "Let's take the usual approach. There's no way we could sneak in, and I don't want the blood of a woman on my hands." Rude nodded and glanced behind him to make sure that Elena had heard the plan._

_"Elena," he whispered. The blonde was staring off into space again. "Elena," he whispered again, this time a bit more urgently. She shook out of her thoughts and looked at Rude. _

_"Sorry, I heard you. The usual," she whispered furiously. Rude nodded. _

_"Let's go," Reno said as he straightened up and walked around the corner. "Hello, there," he said brightly as Elena and Rude filed in behind him. The people sitting around the table looked up, surprised by the interruption. The woman glanced at the intruders, her green-eyed gaze widening as it fell on Elena. Her long black hair was swept back in an untidy braid that snaked across her shoulder._

_"Sorry for the rude interruption, but we're need of some help. We're looking for a Gin and were told that you would be able to help us out," Reno said, his trademark grin spreading across his face. The two men stared at him in silence. _

_"Now, come on. Don't give me that. Gin? The leader of the terrorist cell you all are involved with. I know you know him," he said. Still silence. Reno rolled his eyes. "I should have known this wouldn't be easy," he muttered. He glanced at Rude and Elena. "Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way," he said as he walked towards the table charging his electric rod. "Elena, will you restrain the young lady," Reno said. Elena didn't move. She was lost in a confused trance. _

"_Elena!" Reno shouted. She snapped out of her trance and looked at Reno, then back at the woman. She nodded and started walking towards her, a funny look on her face. Reno shook his head, wondering just what was going on with her today. Elena reached out and lightly grabbed the woman's arm, pulling her to her feet and across the room. _

_"Elena," the woman said urgently. _

_"Shh," Elena warned as she glared at her, still aiming the gun at her. _

_"Now, which one of you is going to tell me where I can find Gin," Reno said with a smile as he turned his attention back to the men. Rude cracked his knuckles as he stood silently behind Reno. _

_"We'll never tell!" one of the men, obviously the youngest in the group, shouted, his brown eyes alight with passionate loyalty. Reno chuckled._

_"We've got ourselves a hero, Rude," he said with a smirk. Reno walked over to the young man and pressed his rod up against the man's neck. "So, you're not going to tell me where Gin is?" he asked. The man glared at Reno and tried to push the rod away. Reno hit him across the head. The man flew out of the chair and landed with a thud on the stone floor. The other man stood, preparing to take on the Turks. Suddenly, a shout from the other side of the room caught everyone's attention. The woman had somehow maneuvered the gun out of Elena's hand and now had it pressed against her temple with Elena's arm twisted behind her back. _

_"Stop it. Stop your stupid violence," the woman spat. Reno watched in shock. How on earth had that woman gotten the gun out of Elena's hand? "You want Gin? Well, look no further. You've found her!" she shouted with a grimace. Elena looked shocked, more so than Reno and Rude._

_"Gin," the man on the floor groaned as he sat up._

_"Get up, Rupert," Gin said. "Now, if you want Elena to live, you'll listen to me," she warned desperately. "Please, don't make me hurt her."_

_"Merlene, don't do this," Elena said softly. The woman twisted Elena's arm more, causing a shout of pain to emerge from the blonde Turk. "Merlene! This isn't you!" Elena shouted as tears began to fill her eyes._

_"Elena, shut up!" Gin shouted again, her voice breaking. "And don't call me that name. I don't deserve to go by that name anymore," she murmured. _

_"What's going on here? Elena, do you know her?" Reno asked, obviously confused. _

_"Yes, we are...this is my best friend, Merlene. I think I might have mentioned her to you," Elena said quietly. Reno thought quickly to a picture that Elena kept on her desk. He suddenly recognized the other woman from the picture with Elena. _

_"Wait, what? You're friends with the leader of a terrorist cell?" he asked, trying to process everything. Rude stood in silently behind him, taking in the stunning revelations._

_"Well, I didn't know she was a terrorist- Gah!" Elena shouted as Gin twisted her arm more._

_"I think that's enough chit-chat," she said. "Now boys, trust me. I don't want to hurt Ellie here, so I highly suggest you drop any weapons you have right now. Drop 'em." Reno stared at Gin a moment before dropping his electric rod. "Good, now, Lee, Rupert, tie them up please," she said. The two men grabbed some rope from an obscure corner of the room and proceeded to tie up Reno and Rude. Reno was in shock at how quickly the routine had taken a turn for the worse. His eyes caught Elena's as she sent him a silent message of apology._

_"Good. Now, take a seat," Gin said. Reno and Rude moved towards two chairs, Reno falling into one with a thud, Rude sitting a little more politely in the other. _

_"Why?" Elena said quietly, glancing at Gin out of the corner of her eye. "Why?" Gin laughed wryly._

_"Why what? Why didn't I tell you? Why do I make bombs??" She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's one of those 'keep your friends close but your enemies closer' sort of things," she answered. Elena was silent as the tears slowly streamed down her cheeks. Gin sighed._

_"Please don't cry, Elena. Don't make this harder than it already is. You're one of my closest friends. But let's face it. The line was drawn in the dirt awhile ago whether or not you realized it," she said softly. Elena nodded. _

_"But what about all those innocent children you killed," she whispered. Gin shook her head as if trying to shake away the disturbing images._

_"I don't have time to explain all of this to you right now," she said quietly. She then looked to the men with a poorly concealed pained expression. "Let's go." Gin pushed Elena to the ground and began walking towards the exit without looking back. "I'm sorry, Elena," Gin whispered as she threw the gun to the ground. Elena knocked the chair over, landing roughly on Reno's chest. Rupert ran over to the table, pressed a few buttons on an odd contraption sitting there, then dashed back to follow Gin, who was unaware of his actions, with a crazed look in his eyes. _

_"It's a bomb," Rude said. "We've only got to get out of here." Elena quickly pulled out her second gun and aimed it._

_"Stop!" she shouted, firing a warning shot above their retreating heads. The party stopped and turned around, Gin's eyes wide. _

_"Don't shoot," she said softly. "I mean you no harm. Just, let me go this one time. Then I promise you won't have to look for me anymore." _

_"Shoot her! Now!" Reno yelled. Elena stared at Gin, obviously fighting her inner demons. She held a steady aim on Gin. "Shoot now! The bomb, Elena!" _

_"Don't," Gin whispered. "This is not how I'm suppose to die. This is not how it's supposed to end. Put the gun down and we'll all get out of here alive."_

_"Gin, let's go," Lee shouted. Gin kept her eyes on Elena._

_"She's responsible for the death of all those innocent people in that nursery school! She's planted too many bombs and killed too many people! Shoot her now!" Reno shouted. "She deserves to die!" Elena swallowed and shut her eyes as she squeezed the trigger._

_"I'm sorry!" she whispered. The gun fired, and Gin fell to the ground, a look of shock on her face. The two men made a run for the exit, too much of a coward to stop to help their once fearless leader. Immediately, Elena dropped her gun and ran to Gin's side._

_"Merlene," she whispered. "Oh my god, what did I do. Oh my god!" Gin coughed and looked down at the red beginning to spread across her chest._

_"You made the right choice, Elena. I'm a bad person," she said softly. "Now get out of here."_

_"No, no. You're my best friend. Oh my god. Hold on," she shouted. Suddenly, Elena felt strong arms around her waist, pulling her up._

_"We have to get out of here. The bomb is going to go off," Reno said as he started dragging Elena towards the exit, the rope that once held him hanging loosely on the chair. Rude was close behind them, tossing the ropes that bound his arms over his shoulder._

_"We can't leave her!" Elena shouted, grabbing for Gin._

_"Get out! Before the bomb detonates," Gin murmured, her eyes wildly urging Elena to leave her. _

_"No!" Elena fought loose of Reno's grasp and leaned down to pick up Gin. "I'm not leaving her!" Rude grabbed Elena around the waist and picked her up. His grasp was harder for Elena to break out of. _

_"No!" she shouted again as Rude ran towards the opening in the floor. Reno was already standing at the top, reaching down for Elena. Rude held her up. She struggled against them so much, Reno nearly dropped her. _

_"Damnit, Elena! Do you want to die!" he shouted as he pulled her out and reached down to give Rude a hand. Rude crawled out of the hole and they began to make for the front door, dragging Elena._

_"Let me go!" Elena shouted as she finally broke free and ran back towards the trap door._

_"Elena!" Reno shouted, turning to go chase her down. But right as she jumped over the counter, the bomb went off. Noise filled every part of Reno's body as wood and other debris flew through the air. It knocked Reno back into a display and nearly covered him completely. After a bit, silence filled the store. Reno sat up, covered in dust and blood from random wounds. _

_"Elena!" he shouted. "Elena!"_

"So, that's what happened?" Rufus asked. Reno nodded.

"Yea, I've never seen her like that before," he whispered. Rufus nodded, gazing down at the file folder opened on his desk. "I thought that if I put in that stuff in the report, it would get her in trouble," Reno continued. "I figured she had gone through enough without getting trouble for that."

"Well, thank you for your time," Rufus said as he stood. Reno and Rude stood, curiously watching their president.

"What are you going to do now," Reno asked. Rufus looked at the concerned redhead.

"I don't know. Find out the best way to help Elena, I suppose," he said with a sad smile. Reno nodded.

"Let me know if I can help," the Turk said quietly. Rufus nodded. Reno and Rude then left the office, shutting the door quietly behind them. Rufus then collapsed in his chair, rubbing his temples.

"Elena," he whispered. "What have we done to you?"


	7. The Dream

And here's the latest installment! I would have posted it sooner, but we're having internet issues at my house. And thanks again to my reviewers, RhyssaFireheart, Laili the Turk, Anon and Ardenilia! Anywho, hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

_Elena sat on the stool, laughing as she placed the edge of the glass of wine to her lips. _

_"You can't be serious," she laughed. Merlene rolled her eyes and sat her half empty glass down. _

_"Of course I'm serious! The only way Tseng is going to pick up on anything is if you tell him, nitwit!" she exclaimed, tucking a bit of her untamable black hair behind her ear. Elena took a sip of her wine and then set the glass down on the counter. They were sitting in her spotless kitchen, enjoying a bottle of wine after dinner. _

_"I suppose you're right, but-, I don't know. Isn't there some unwritten rule about dating your boss?" she said, reaching for her wine glass again. Merlene laughed, a deep, soft laugh that filled those around her with warmth. Elena found herself laughing at her own shyness._

_"Does it matter? If you really care about him, and he cares about you, it'll work out," she said, challenging her blonde friend. _

_"Yea, but what if he doesn't care about me," Elena said softly, fiddling with a small, silver ring on her right index finger. _

_"Would you stop with that," Merlene exclaimed. "You have told me specific instances, correct?" Elena nodded. "And we deducted that these specific instances prove there is some sort of attraction there, correct?" she asked. Elena nodded again._

_"All right, now would you get over yourself and just tell the man that you're interested in him," she said before taking another sip of her wine. Elena shrugged and laughed softly. _

_"Okay, okay. Sheesh," she said, rolling her brown eyes. A phone chirped. Elena raised an eyebrow at Merlene. Merlene sighed and rolled her eyes._

_"What? Did you think I would turn it off?" she asked as she reached for her cell phone. They had been through this before._

_"I guess not," Elena said as she watched Merlene answer her cell phone._

_"Yes?...Uh huh...uh huh...okay. I'll be right there. Bye," she said and then flipped it shut._

_"No, you promised me a girls night in. We were going to watch a chick flick," Elena whined. Merlene laughed as she stood and downed the rest of her wine in one swallow._

_"You know I can't ignore a call," Merlene said as she pulled on the light brown jacket that was slung across the back of the chair she had been sitting in._

_"I know, I know. You are a doctor. When the hospital calls, you go," she said as she stood and picked up Merlene's empty glass. She turned to the sink in time to miss the slight grimace that graced Merlene's normally cheerful face. _

_"Yea," she murmured. Elena quickly rinsed out the glasses and left them in the sink._

_"Oh, well. I suppose I should go to bed early tonight anyway. I've been up late working too much in the last week," she said as she turned around and leaned against the sink._

_"The same case?" Merlene asked as she picked up her purse from the counter and slung it over her shoulder. Elena sighed._

_"Yea, we still haven't located that bombing terrorist, Gin," she said as she shook her head. "To be honest, I hope we find him soon. You heard about the latest, haven't you? The one that took out the nursery with all those innocent children. The bastard." Merlene shuddered and looked at the ground, silent. "But no worries. We'll find him and his cell soon and take them out," Elena said cheerfully, comforting her friend. Merlene looked up and smiled sadly. _

_"I'm sure you will," she said softly. They both paused for a few moments, before Merlene broke the silence. "Well, I've got to go. Duty calls!" she said sarcastically. Elena laughed and walked her friend out of the kitchen to the foyer. _

_"Don't work too hard," she said as she opened the front door of the apartment and let Merlene out. _

_"You know me," Merlene said with a shrug. She started to walk away and then stopped in the hallway and turned to face Elena._

_"Elle," she said. "Be careful, okay? Sometimes if you look too hard for something, you find more than you bargain for." Elena looked at Merlene, puzzled. _

_"Okay, Merle," she said, with a small smile. "Don't worry, I've got Rude and Reno with me." Merlene nodded and smiled._

_"Okay. Good night."_

_"Night," Elena said as she shut the door, still pondering Merlene's words. "Get more than I bargain for?" she repeated to herself. _

_"Yes, that's right. More than you bargain for," a voice said. Elena jumped and looked towards the doorway to the kitchen. There stood Merlene. But yet, it didn't seem to be Merlene. It was a darker, more sinister Merlene. _

_"Merlene, how did you-, you were just-." Elena was confused. _

_"You didn't think you would find your best friend when you walked into the lair of the enemy, did you?" Merlene asked, a smirk running across her face. Elena froze. "You didn't wake up thinking, 'Hmm, I think I'm going to kill my best friend today,' did you?" Elena shook her head, feeling the panic begin to rise up in her chest. _

_"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, refusing to look at Merlene. "What's going on Merlene?"_

_"Don't call me that," she spat. "My name is Gin, don't you remember? I told you, right before you shot me." Elena's head began to pound as she looked up at her friend. Merlene pulled open the right side of her light brown jacket to reveal a bullet wound. _

_"I-I didn't want to," she whispered. "I-I'm so sorry." Merlene glared at her. _

_"Sure you are," she said as she started to walk towards Elena. "No one forced you to pull the trigger, Elena. You killed me. You chose to kill me. Your best friend," she said slowly and deliberately. "You killed me." Elena grabbed the sides of her head as the pounding increased._

_"I know! I know!" she shouted. "I didn't-, I-I-!" Elena leaned against the door and slid down until she was sitting on the floor. "Stay away from me!" she screamed as she listened to Merlene's footsteps get closer. _

"Stay away!" Elena screamed as she sat up in bed. She looked around at her darkened bedroom, breathing hard. Moonlight gleamed through the blinds that covered her one, large window. She swallowed as she tucked a strand of blonde hair, wet with sweat, behind her ear. The clock sitting on her night stand blinked a blazing red 3 a.m. Elena sighed as she threw the comforter off and swung her legs off the edge. After that dream she wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon. She might as well make productive use of the time and work on some of the reports she brought home from the office. Tseng had kept Rude and Reno exceptionally busy the last few months. And beside, it wasn't the first sleepless night she had since the accident.

Elena sighed as she shrugged into her threadbare robe and walked over to her desk. She flipped open her laptop and turned it on, letting the room fill with a dull, blue glow from the screen. She fell into her desk chair and rubbed her forehead. Despite many sleepless nights, she hadn't had any nightmares in a few months. The terror of the dream had nearly disappeared, but a bit of it still clenched in her chest. Elena swallowed, willing it to go away. She shook her head, as if clearing it, and picked up one of the files sitting on her desk. She pushed the dream far from her thoughts as she focused on reading through the various notes in the file. Though, trying as hard as she did, the dream continued to creep back into her mind. Elena threw the file down, and rubbed her forehead again, closing her eyes. The pain was beginning to creep in the longer she dwelled on it.

"Stop it," she whispered, knowing why she had the dream. It was because of the president and his meeting with her. His questions reopened a wound that wouldn't heal. A wound she was refusing to acknowledged existed. Elena decided that the best thing to do was to stay away from him. Protect herself from his penetrating blue eyes that always questioned her and tried to dredge up things that needed to stay hidden. Elena took a deep breath, willing the thoughts to go away. After a moment, she opened up her eyes and picked up the file. It was time to get to work.


	8. Dreaming of a Return to Normality

Hello all! I'm back from the dead! Sorry it took so long for this update. It's my last semester of university and things have been a bit crazy. But no worries! I will finish this story! In fact, I'm already working on the ending...I just need to fill in the middle part now. Anywho, I hope you enjoy it!!

* * *

Elena sighed as she walked to the office door, right on time as usual. After the nightmare last night, she stayed up until her alarm went off working on reports, like she did every night she couldn't sleep. It was another routine beginning to a routine day. Or so she thought. Elena turned a corner and nearly collided with the President. 

"I'm sorry President Shinra," she said, backing off before he could make any physical contact. It was odd to find the president out of his office.

"It's quite all right," he said, a smile spreading across his face. Remembering her vow to stay away from the President, Elena tried to move around him, but he continued to block her way.

"Is there something I can help you with?" she asked emotionless, feeling her nerves flare faintly.

"Actually, yes. I was wondering if you would join me for lunch today. I have a few reports I wish to discuss with you," he asked. Elena's meticulously manicure eyebrows arched. She didn't know how to answer. She wanted to refuse. Lunch with the President disrupted routine and she clung to routine. And then there were his questions. But then again, this was the president of Shinra. Who was she to refuse him?

"I, I suppose," she found herself saying after a few moments of silence. Rufus' face lit up.

"Wonderful. I'll be back around noon," he said before walking off. Elena watched his retreating back in confusion, wondering exactly what happened. Just last night she was vowing to stay away from the President, thinking it wouldn't be that hard a task. And now she was meeting him for lunch. Elena shook her head and walked into the office, quickly trying to think up an excuse to get out of lunch.

The office was quiet, save the occasional noise from Tseng's office, as usual. Elena walked in and sat at her desk, pressing the on button on her computer. She then straightened up the three file folders that she brought with her from home, preparing to turn them into Tseng at the morning briefing.

It wasn't long before Elena could hear Reno moving loudly down the hallway towards the office. He was sure to be following Rude. Elena glanced up as the duo entered the office. It was routine, ritual. Elena breathed a sigh of relief at the return to her comfort zone. If only she could figure out a way to get out of lunch.

"It's time for the briefing," Tseng said. Elena stood, gathering the file folders.

"What? Did you stay up all night finishing those?" Reno asked as he stopped at her desk. Elena looked at the file folders and then up at Reno.

"Not all night," she said, unwilling to admit the real reason behind her sleeplessness. She looked down at the floor and began to walk to Tseng's office. Reno stopped her, and gently touched her chin, turning her face towards him. Elena went rigid at his touch. Reno shook his head at the sight of her lifeless brown eyes and the dark circles under them.

"You're not getting any sleep," he said flatly. Elena moved her head, breaking contact, and walked to the office, refusing to answer him. Refusing to let his concerned eyes have an effect on her. She stood silently before Tseng's desk, purposely standing so that Rude was in between her and Reno.

"All right," Tseng said as he picked up a file folder and glanced through it. "I have another mission for Rude and Reno. Keep working on the street gang, but I want you to start on this one today." He handed the file to Rude, obviously trusting him more with the valuable content. "Look it over. If you have any questions, feel free to ask." Rude nodded as Reno leaned over to look at the file. "That is all," Tseng said. Reno and Rude filed out as Elena stepped up and handed Tseng the files.

"Three?" he asked as he accepted them. "You've been working very hard on these reports lately." Elena nodded.

"I just want to be efficient, sir," she said professionally. She turned to leave the office, but Tseng stopped her.

"Don't-, don't work yourself too hard, Elena. You're still recovering," he said. He watched as Elena slowly turned around to look at him with her cold, hollow eyes. He remembered painfully a time when they were a warm, chocolate brown. There was once a time when he longed to gaze into those eyes. He wished now that he hadn't taken them for granted.

"I am fully recovered, sir," she said softly before turning and leaving the office. Tseng sighed and shook his head, returning to sit at his desk.

Elena returned to her desk and opened up another file to begin working on. She was beginning to catch up on the reports. While she was out for three months, Rude and Reno had let the reports back up. Upon her return, Elena took it upon herself to catch up on the reports, since she wouldn't be going out in the field. She sighed and set to work. Everyone knew that reports didn't write themselves.


	9. The First Step

Hello! It's here! Chapter Nine! Sorry it took so long! I've been busy with graduating and moving and whatnot. But I should be able to update a bit more regularly now. I've got a definite ending for this story, I just need to get it there. Hopefully I won't drag this one out:) Thanks so much for the reviews Cueball and Obsessed Master Jedi! I'm so glad that people are enjoying this story. I was afraid it was getting too depressing. And the critiques are much appreciated! Well, without further ado, I give you chapter nine!

* * *

Before she realized it, it was nearly noon. Elena sighed and looked up at the clock. She had kept herself so busy she hadn't had time to dread the lunch date with the President. Or figure out a way to get out of it. Now as it loomed ever closer, a panic started to rise in her chest. The conversation with him yesterday was anything but pleasant and it only lasted a few minutes. Elena was terrified at what could possibly happen during an hour long lunch.

"You're being ridiculous," she whispered to herself as she shook her head and turned back the computer. She took a deep breath and returned to the hollow, numb shell. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, filling the screen with words at a rapid pace.

"My, what a diligent worker you are," someone said from behind her. Elena stopped typing and looked over her shoulder at the president. Any surprise that she felt towards his silent entrance was quickly squelched within her and never surfaced on her face.

"Are you ready, Mr. President?" she asked emotionless. Rufus nodded sadly. He was slightly encouraged by her subtle awkwardness that morning in the hall, but now it appeared that the shell was securely in place. Elena stood, grabbed her purse and looked at the President expectantly.

"Come, this way," he said with a smile, leading her out of the office.

After a silent car ride that seemed to last forever, the duo had arrived at large, sophisticated building. Elena stepped out of the car and looked up, trying to make out where they were.

"Welcome to my home, Elena," Rufus said as he stepped out of the car behind her. Elena looked back to him, curious as to why he brought her here. The panic was starting to rise again in her chest.

"Mr. President, why did you bring me here?" she asked point blank, unsure of whether or not she wanted to hear his answer. Rufus laughed softly and began to lead her into the building.

"Let's wait until we've had something to eat," he said. The two made their way to the lobby. Rufus waved at the security guard seated behind the front desk, walked up to the elevators and pressed the up button, waiting patiently for the silver doors to slide open. Elena struggled to control her breathing as the doors opened and they stepped in to the small box which whisked them up to Rufus' apartment. Something didn't feel right. Presidents of companies did not bring workers to their private homes for personal lunch meetings.

"I hardly find this professional, President Shinra. Perhaps we should leave and go back to the office, a more appropriate setting for discussing reports," she said monotonously, staring at the over-glossed, silver elevator wall in front of her. On the outside, she was a perfect picture of apathetic calmness, but on the inside she was reaching panic level. Rufus looked down at her, amused by her suggestion. He could tell that she was trying very hard to control the situation, a task that she would soon find impossible. He shook his head, not yet willing to think about how she would react once she found that out.

"Please, Elena, call me Rufus. And it's quite all right. My cook has already prepared a meal for us and I assure you, the atmosphere will stay quite professional while we are eating," he said, carefully choosing his words. Elena nodded, feeling his eyes on her. Part of her wanted to look up at him in the hopes it would reveal more behind his intentions for this private lunch meeting, but the other part of her overwhelmed that small part and kept her staring straight ahead. It wasn't long before the elevator slowed to a stop. Elena watched as the doors silently slid open to reveal a large, spacious living room that was sparsely decorated with contemporary furniture and large, boldly colored rugs. Rufus stepped into the room, followed by Elena. The shutting of the elevator doors behind her gave the room a stuffy feeling. Elena felt as though she couldn't breathe. Rufus turned and walked through the large room into an equally spacious dining room where the table was already set.

"Please, have a seat," he said amiably as he pulled out a chair for Elena to sit in. Elena nodded and sat, watching while Rufus walked around to the opposite end of the table and sat across from her. Silently, a tall middle aged woman walked in with a tray and placed a salad in front of both Elena and Rufus.

"Thank you, Marilyn," Rufus said, smiling. The woman nodded and smiled with kind eyes.

"I'll be back with sandwiches momentarily," she said warmly. Rufus nodded and picked up his fork. Elena stared at her salad and looked up at the President.

"What is it that you wished to discuss with me," she asked firmly.

"We'll discuss it after we eat," he said before taking a bite. Elena looked back down at her salad, her appetite completely gone, and then back up at the President. This was too much. She had to end this right now.

"I wish to discuss it now," she said flatly, quite aware that she was talking rather bluntly to her boss, but not really caring. Elena was tired of dealing with all his prying questions and concerned eyes. He had no idea what she was going through. Rufus looked at her a moment and then sighed, setting down his fork.

"Very well. I wish to discuss with you the Gin report," he said. Elena's eyes widened as she took a deep breath, trying to control the panic that was dangerously close to becoming overwhelming. Her heart rate sped up so fast that it felt as though her heart would jump out of her chest.

"I didn't write that report, sir," she said quietly, staring down at her plate.

"I am quite aware of that, but I wanted to hear your take on the matter," he said. "I want to hear from your point of view what happened that night."

"We went to find the headquarters for a terrorist cell, there were some complications and a bomb was detonated shortly before the leader was…killed," she said as professionally as she could muster, her voice getting softer the more she spoke.

"There is something more, isn't there?" Rufus asked, pushing Elena.

"Whatever else you want to know is in the report," she said coldly.

"No, it's not," he replied. Elena sat up and stared at him, frustrated with his line of questioning. She crossed her arms and began tapping her elbow. "Rude and Reno said that you seemed upset before the mission. What happened before you left?" he asked point blankly. Elena glared at him as she fought to force the memories of that day out of her mind.

"That is a personal matter that I'd rather not discuss and has no relevance to that case or this discussion," she said, feeling a headache coming on.

"A personal matter it may be, but it seems to have had an affect on your performance that day, so I find it highly relevant to the case and this current discussion," he said smoothly. Elena looked away, her frail face contorted in pain as she fought down the memories. It killed Rufus to be so harsh, but facing what happened that day head on was the only way that Elena would get passed it.

_"It's impossible. We're impossible," _echoed through her head.

"No," she whispered, still desperately trying to hold up the walls of her inner prison. "I will not talk about what happened," she said a bit louder, still looking at the ground. Her fair face was flushed as her slight body began to rock back and forth.

"Elena," Rufus said softly as he stood and ran to her. "Look at me," he said, grabbing her upper arms and shaking her out of her agitated reverie. Elena jumped as his touch and glared up at him. She pushed him away and stood, trying to put as much distance between the two of them as she possibly could, all the while struggling to keep control of the situation.

"Don't touch me," she muttered.

"What happened that day?" Rufus asked again. Elena stopped walking and hugged herself. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, calming herself. The walls of her self-induced prison rose again as she brought her racing pulse down to a more manageable rate. She straightened her shoulders and opened her eyes, fully in control of her emotions. Rufus shook his head, noticing the coldness that suddenly swept through the room.

"Everything that you should know about is in the report. If you insist on knowing more, interrogate Reno and Rude. I'm sure they are more aware of what happened than I am," she said evenly without turning around. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I have a lot of work that I must attend to." She set off at a brisk walk through the living room, the clacking of her heels resounding off the cold tile.

"Elena," Rufus said quietly. The clacking silenced. "You can't go on like this forever. One day, you will have to face what happened and deal with it." Elena turned slowly, her lifeless, cold eyes falling on the President. There was no reaction in her face to the pleading in his.

"I've already dealt with it, sir. It is none of your concern." With that, she walked to the elevator, entered it and left the apartment. Rufus sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"This is going to be harder than I thought," he murmured.


	10. Another Missed Step

Yay for updating! I got on a roll and wrote a lot today. In fact, I think I'm getting close to the end of the story. I'm afraid that if I drag it out too much longer, it'll get boring so there will probably only be about four more chapters after this one. Thanks for the reviews, thetemptedangel and Obsessed Jedi Master! I'm glad that you are enjoying the story and don't think that it is too depressing!

* * *

Elena nearly collapsed as she entered her darkened apartment that night. She was exhausted more than usual. Upon returning to work, she had thrown herself into finishing reports in order to forget the conversation with the President. It wasn't hard to forget while there was a pile of Reno's indecipherable notes to transcribe, which was why she had elected to stay late again. She knew that the moment she stepped through the door to her apartment, the old feelings and emotions would start trying to creep back in. It was always harder to stay in control when she was alone in her home. There was no one there to perform for.

Elena flipped on the light as she entered the kitchen and set her purse on the counter next to the key hanger, where she methodically placed her house key. She looked around the empty kitchen, wondering if she wanted to attempt to eat something or just go to bed. The grumbling of her stomach reminded her that she skipped lunch, and the mild headache reminded her why she skipped lunch. Sighing, she set out to make a sandwich, hoping that it would satisfy her stomach while she struggled to forget about the lunch altercation.

"What does he think he's doing," she murmured as she set out ham, lettuce and mayo on her spotless kitchen counter.

_"Perhaps, he thinks he's helping," _a tiny voice countered. Elena shook her head, trying to forget the thought. _"I don't need help, I'm fine," _she thought.

"I'm fine," she said aloud, as if she needed to further convince herself. "I'm fine." Silently, Elena finished making her sandwich and sat down on a stool. She took a bite of the sandwich and chewed slowly, her mind starting to drift back to lunch.

_"What happened that day?" _Rufus' penetrating blue eyes filled Elena's mind. She shook her head to rid herself of the image.

_"I don't want to think about it," _she thought. _"God, I had managed to forget about it, why did he have to bring it up again." _She took another bite of her sandwich, still chewing slowly, still struggling to swallow it along with the lump in her throat. Elena sighed. It looked like it was going to be another long night with no sleep.

* * *

_"Elena, can I help you? Do you have any questions about today's mission?" Tseng asked as the nervous blonde stood in the doorway to his office. She bit her bottom lip and kept wringing her hands. Tseng had to chuckle at her. It wasn't often that Elena was nervous about something. The petite blonde had nerves of steel._

_"Um, actually, it's not about the mission," she said softly. Tseng was perplexed. He sat back in his large leather computer chair with a bemused smile. _

_"Well, then, by all means, have a seat," he offered. Elena nodded and quickly walked over to a chair in front of Tseng's mammoth desk. "What is it that you would like to discuss?"_

_"Well, you see, um," Elena stuttered, looking down at her hands that she kept wringing in her lap. Now Tseng was concerned. Elena didn't get flustered too easily._

_"Is something wrong?" he asked quietly, wondering if he should have had her shut the door for privacy. She may be a Turk and she may be tough, but Tseng never let that stop him from worrying about the youngest member of his team._

_"No, nothing's wrong, well, it's just," Elena took a deep breath and looked up at Tseng, her brown eyes finally meeting his. "I think I'm falling for you," she blurted. Silence fell over the office as Elena and Tseng stared at each other. "Tseng?" she said quietly. Tseng cleared his throat and looked down at the desk. Elena's eyes instantly began to fill with tears. She should have known this is what would happen. She looked around before standing abruptly._

_"I'm sorry, sir. I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have said anything. I was mistaken," she murmured as she turned to leave. _

_"Elena, wait," Tseng said as he stood and walked around his desk. Elena stopped but didn't turn around._

_"No, it's okay. I understand. I'm just a silly little girl with a silly little crush," she said. Tseng grabbed her arm and turned her around._

_"Would you stop putting words into my mouth. I didn't say anything," he said. "Look at me, Elena." He forced her to look up into his face. "We-,"_

_"Please, I understand. You don't have to say anything," she insisted._

_"Elena, it's impossible. We're impossible," he said. Elena stared at him, not quite sure what to make of what he was saying. She wasn't expecting to see pain in his eyes._

_"Don't say anymore," she whispered as tears began falling down her porcelain cheeks._

"Please, don't say anymore," Elena shouted as she sat up in bed. She gasped and looked around her darkened bedroom. She was once again covered in a cold sweat, but this dream wasn't nearly as painful as last night. She reached up and brushed her cheek, shocked that it was wet from tears. She hugged herself and began breathing deeply, trying to control the pain that was beginning to well up in her heart.

"I don't want to feel," she murmured. "I don't want to feel."

* * *

Rufus stood in his living room, looking out over the twinkling city lights. He wondered where Elena was, out there somewhere, alone in the large city. He sighed, remembering how quickly her shell had come back up that afternoon. It was shocking.

"Elena, how can I help you get your life back," he wondered out loud. Then his thoughts turned to his motives. "Why am I doing this?" he asked himself. He thought back to before the accident, when Elena was herself. He had wanted to approach her then, get to know her more than just an employee. He fell for her warm brown eyes and her bright smile.

But then the accident happened.

And Elena was not the same when she came back. Rufus ran his hand through his hair, thinking about all the nights he had sat by her hospital bed, praying for her to wake up. He thought about how it killed him to see her fragile body bruised and broken. Of course, she never knew that he sat there with her. No one knew, save a small handful of nurses. Why was he doing this? Rufus placed his palm against the glass, as if he could somehow touch her from where he was. He was always watching, had always been watching her. His only regret was that he waited too long to finally reach out to her.


	11. Confrontation

Lucky you, two chapters in one night! Like I said, I got a bit of inspiration. It won't be too much longer until the end. I already have the final two chapters written, I just need a lead in to them. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Elena sat rigid at her desk the next morning, typing up a new report. She was exhausted from not being able to sleep the night before. Her resolve to avoid the President had multiplied tenfold.

"You should have been there! It was awesome, yo!" Reno said loudly as he and Rude walked into the office. Elena barely glanced their way. Reno looked over at his silent co-worker, immediately noticing the dark circles and her bloodshot eyes. An uncharacteristic frown came over his face as he marched over to Elena's desk. Elena didn't acknowledge his approach.

"Do you sleep?" Reno asked bluntly. Elena glanced up at him.

"Yes," she said, her fingers never leaving the keyboard.

"Are you sure, because you're looking awfully tired today," he said, concern apparent in his voice.

"I'm fine," she said abruptly.

"I don't think you are," Reno replied.

"It's none of your concern," she said tersely.

"I think it is," Reno replied just as quickly.

"Leave me alone," Elena shot back. Reno grabbed the keyboard and pulled it off her desk, knocking over a pile of finished reports along with a pen holder. Ball point pens scattered across her desk and clattered to the floor.

"Are you even listening to me?" he shouted. Elena looked up at him, her brown eyes wide with shock. "Because I don't think you are."

"Reno," Rude said from his desk.

"Shut up, Rude, we've done nothing for too long," Reno shouted at him, never taking his eyes off Elena. "You are not fine. I don't care if your body has healed. You're not the same Elena as before and I'm sick of this new Elena. I'm sick of seeing that dead look in your eyes." Elena swallowed as she gripped the desk in front of her. Reno had never yelled at her like this before.

"I've tried being nice and taking it easy on you, but it's not working. You've got to quit this Ice Queen act," he shouted.

"What makes you think it's an act," Elena said softly. "You don't know anything." Reno shook his head, a wry smile spread across his face.

"So, you're saying that I've just got to get use to this-, this-, dead-, thing that's taken over you?" he asked.

"You don't know anything," she said a little louder.

"I don't know because you refuse to tell me," Reno shouted back. "I risked my life to pull you out of that building. Rude and I both nearly died making sure that we didn't leave without you, and this is how you're going to be?" Emotions began welling up in Elena. The guilt began trickling back into her. She looked down at her lap, struggling to keep them down. Trying to ignore the pain. But something in her snapped, and she couldn't take it anymore.

"If that's how you feel, then why didn't you just let me die!" she shouted as she looked up at Reno, her eyes blazing. Reno stepped back, not expecting her to have such an explosive reaction. "Why didn't you just let me die!"

"Enough," Tseng said calmly. Reno and Elena looked over at their somber boss, neither noticing when he had entered the room. "Elena, will you please come into my office. And Reno, you can put the keyboard done." Elena nodded solemnly and stood while Reno silently placed the keyboard back on her desk. She followed Tseng into his office.

"Shut the door behind you," he said as he walked around his desk and sat in his chair. Quietly, Elena shut the door, walked over and sat across from Tseng. He silently watched her for a moment, realizing how similar this was to the day she had confessed to him. Only now, she wasn't a nervous wreck. She was silent, dead almost. Elena watched Tseng, regaining her composure and the control she had lost while with Reno.

"I think you should take some time off," Tseng finally said.

"I'm fine, sir," Elena replied quickly, swallowing the panic that was starting to rise again.

"No, you're not," Tseng said. He began rubbing his temple to ward off the headache that starting. "You're not sleeping. It's apparent that you are still emotionally unstable-,"

"I'm fine, sir," she said a little stronger. Tseng studied her for a moment, taking in her dark circles and bloodshot eyes.

"You know, what happened wasn't your fault, Elena. And we all understand how hard it must be for you, even now. No one will blame you for taking a few more weeks off. I think you came back too soon," he said softly. Elena stared at him, completely at a loss as to what to do. "Go home, Elena. Get some rest and get yourself back together. Reno has a point," Tseng continued. "We all miss the old you." Elena nodded.

"I understand," she murmured, still in a daze. Silently, she stood and began walking to the door.

"And Elena," Tseng called. She stopped and turned to look at him. "It wouldn't hurt to talk to someone about what happened. You might find it helpful." She nodded again, then left his office.


	12. Tseng's Confession

Hey guys! Ready for the next installment? This one is a little shorter, but it acts more as a transition into the final two chapters. (Which are more like a final chapter and an epilogue.) Anywho, thanks for reading and reviewing! Especially Obsessed Jedi Master. Yea, I was kind of tired of reading all the Tseng-is-an-ass stories, so I decided to give him a heart. (Because we all know he has one.) Anywho, enjoy the next chapter!

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Rufus walked into the office and stopped inside the door, surprised that it was empty. Reno and Rude he had assumed would be out on a mission, but he wasn't expecting to find the office void of Elena's incessant typing and cold demeanor.

"I sent her home," Tseng said from the open door of his office. Rufus looked over at the solemn man. "There was a slight- argument between her and Reno today and I decided that she's been working too hard and needed a break." Rufus began walking towards Tseng's office.

"Argument? She was angry?" he asked, perplexed. It appeared that Elena was showing more emotion lately.

"It was more on Reno's part, but yes, she did seem to be upset. She seemed to be more emotionally unstable than she has been in awhile, so I figured another few weeks of rest would help. I'm sorry if you came down here to see her," Tseng answered as he led Rufus into his office. Rufus shut the door and took a seat.

"Actually, I came here to speak with you," he said smoothly. Tseng nodded as he sat behind his desk.

"What would you like to discuss, Mr. President?" he asked. Rufus took a deep breath and pushed right into what he had come to ask him about.

"It's about the day of the accident. Something happened to Elena before the mission. Both Rude and Reno mentioned that she seemed upset about something. Do you know anything about what might have upset her," he asked. Tseng shifted in his chair and cleared his voice.

"Actually, yes, I do," he said quietly. "It was me." Rufus knit his brow in confusion.

"You?" he asked. Tseng nodded.

"Yes, you see, Elena came in that day and confessed that she loved me," he said, looking down at his desk.

"And you rejected her," Rufus stated neutrally. Tseng looked up.

"Yes, and no," he answered. "You see, I had- have feelings for Elena, but it is impossible for us to be together." Rufus nodded for Tseng to continue. "My feelings for her were not like the feelings she had for me. I love Elena, but I love her as though she were my sister."

"I see, no wonder she was upset. What woman would want to hear that from the man she is in love with," Rufus said. Tseng sighed.

"I suppose, but she never gave me the chance to say it," he said. "She ran out before I could tell her why it was impossible for us to be together." Rufus sat up in his chair.

"She still doesn't know why you rejected her?" he asked. Tseng shook his head sadly.

"No. I wanted to tell her, to explain, but then there was the accident, and there never seemed to be a good time after that," he admitted. "It kills me to see her like this, to know that I am partially to blame. It's killing all of us, which is why Reno exploded about today." Rufus leaned forward.

"Could you give me the directions to Elena's apartment?" he asked. "I don't like the idea of her sitting alone her apartment tonight after what happened." Tseng nodded and pulled out a pad of paper from his desk drawer. He glanced at the president as he scribbled directions down.

"If you don't mind my asking, sir, why are you doing this? What is your interest in Elena?" Tseng asked. "This seems above the call of duty, in my opinion." Rufus stared at his hands in his lap, pondering his answer.

"I suppose that you could say that you, Reno and Rude are not the only ones this new Elena is killing," he finally answered. Tseng nodded as he handed Rufus the paper.

"I've never seen you this interested in one of your employees, or anyone really, like this before," he said as Rufus took the paper and stood. Rufus studied the paper before looking up at Tseng.

"I guess it's because I care for Elena in the way that you couldn't," he said softly before turning and leaving Tseng's office. Tseng sat back in his chair and sighed.

"If anyone is going to break through to her, I suppose it'll be him," he murmured.


	13. Saving Elena

Here it is, the next chapter! This one took a completely different direction than I had originally planned. (Don't you just love the little surprises that spring up as you write?) Because of that, it might possibly have a completely different ending than I originally planned. I still haven't decided which way to go, but depending on which ending I choose there will either be one more chapter or one more chapter and then a short epilogue. I suppose you'll just have to wait to see which way I go. Thanks for the reviews and enjoy this latest chapter!

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Elena sat in her kitchen, staring at her half empty coffee cup. She was exhausted and felt numb from today's events. It wasn't like her to lose control like that. She shook her head, hoping that would clear Reno's voice from her head, but it didn't.

"Why didn't you just let me die," she murmured. "It would have been better than this." She looked around the darkened kitchen, pondering the idea. Perhaps it would be best just to end it all. To forever release herself from the constant struggle of forgetting the pain and then remembering the pain. Reno was right. It was time to end the act.

A knock on the door interrupted Elena's thoughts. She looked towards the bolted door, wondering if she should answer it, or let it go. Chances were that it wasn't anyone important anyway. She turned back to drinking her coffee, which was now lukewarm. Glancing over, she saw her shoulder holster lying on the counter next to her jacket where she left it as she walked in from work. Elena couldn't take her eyes off of it as she set her mug down. The knocking on the door continued, but Elena ignored it as she reached for her gun. If she did it now, there was a chance the person at the door would call the authorities. Then at least they would find her soon, instead of discovering her weeks later, smelling and half decomposed on the kitchen floor.

She held the gun in her hands, feeling the weight of it, allowing her fingers to move smoothly across the cold metal. All it would take was one shot, one pull of the trigger and everything would be over.

"Elena! Are you in there!" someone shouted through the door. She turned to look at it. She knew that voice. "It's me, Rufus. Tseng said that he sent you home and I wanted to check on you." A shiver went down Elena's spine. Damn President Shinra and his timing. Elena turned back to the gun, continuing her analysis of it.

"Elena! If you're in there, please, let me in," he shouted. Elena rolled her eyes. She supposed she could listen to him one last time. At least long enough to tell him to go away. Setting the gun down, she turned and slid off the stool. Silently, she padded across the floor to the door and unlocked it, only opening it wide enough to peek out at the distraught president standing on her doorstep.

"Oh good, you're here," he said with a sigh of relief.

"Did you think I would be elsewhere?" she asked flatly. Rufus shrugged and smiled.

"I guess I just really wanted you to be here…and you are…may I come in?" he asked.

"I was in the middle of something," Elena said, starting to shut the door. Rufus stopped it.

"But I would really like to talk to you, especially after what happened today with Reno," he said. Elena narrowed her eyes.

"How do you know about that? Did Tseng send you over here?" she asked.

"No, I wanted to speak with you anyway. I really think you need to talk about this, about what happened," he said. Elena looked down at the ground and swallowed.

"I don't think there is anything to talk about," she said softly.

"I think there is, Elena," Rufus said, his penetrating eyes trying to search her face for some kind of reaction. Elena looked up at him. She was frustrated. All she wanted to do was escape the pain and all he wanted to do was make her relive it all over again.

"Why won't you leave me alone!" she shouted as she tried to slam the door shut. Rufus caught the door and pushed it back open.

"Because I can't! I can't stand by and watch you destroy yourself anymore!" he shouted back. Elena stopped struggling with the door and glared at him.

"What's it to you? Huh? Why do you care what happens to me? Why are you trying to make me go through all of this again!" she shouted. She slammed the door opened and began pacing, like a caged animal. A million emotions ran across her picturesque face.

"Why, why would you do this to me," she muttered. Rufus walked up to her and grabbed her upper arm.

"Elena, look at me. It's okay. Just let go," he said, his blue eyes gazing deep into her frantic brown eyes. Elena wrenched herself free.

"I can't! Don't you understand! The pain, I can't, I can't bear the pain," she shouted, backing away from him. "I killed my best friend! The one person who truly understood me! I killed her! And then I put the lives of Reno and Rude- my family- at risk because of my stupid emotions!"

"You can't run from the pain forever!" Rufus shouted. It pained him to be so brusque with her, but it was the only way.

"Why would you do this!? Why are you making me go through this again!" she shouted, falling to her knees, sobbing. "I have nothing left. Nothing," she whimpered. "I, I'm a failure. I let Merlene down. I let Reno and Rude down. I wasn't good enough for Tseng…I should have just died in the explosion," she trailed off as the tears continued to fall. Rufus fell to the floor next to Elena and took her in his arms.

"You haven't let anyone down. Reno and Rude don't blame you. Merlene doesn't either. You did what had to be done. And as for Tseng, you never let him explain himself. He never meant to hurt you," he whispered as he held her close. Elena stopped sobbing, in shock that the president had his arms around her.

"Mr. President," she whispered.

"Shh, how many times do I have to tell you, call me Rufus," he said, gently stroking her hair. Elena sighed, feeling his strength start to run through her veins. She settled her head on his shoulder as silent tears fell down her cheeks.

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered.

"Because I love you," Rufus said, finally admitting it out loud. Elena shook her head.

"No, you don't," she murmured. "You can't love me. No one can love me. Please, just leave and let me die in peace." Rufus looked down at her, pain apparent in his face. "Just let me die."

"I can't do that," he whispered. Elena looked up at him, tears still streaming down her face.

"Please, let me end the pain," she whispered. "I'm not worth saving. I'm a monster. I killed my best friend."

"Everyone is worth saving," he said. "And you're not alone. You have Reno and Rude. Tseng is worried sick about you. And you have me. And I won't let you go." Elena pushed him away, trying to force herself not to remember the strength she had momentarily found in his arms. She glanced up at the counter, where she knew the gun was sitting.

"Not me," she said, sniffing. "Please, I can't do this anymore. I can't keep pushing the pain away." Elena stood, looking down at Rufus.

"Then let me help you!" he pleaded, standing up to face her. Elena looked away. She couldn't stand looking into his eyes.

"I'm beyond help," she whispered as her eyes fell upon her gun. She lunged for it, knowing she had a slight advantage since Rufus hadn't noticed it upon entering the apartment. Everything seemed to slow down as she reached out and closed her small hand around the cold metal. She felt Rufus' arms around her waist, but it was too late. The gun was already in her hand.

"Let me go!" she shouted as she struggled to free herself. Rufus grabbed her arm, hoping he could get the gun from her before she pulled the trigger.

"Don't do this!" he yelled. Even after weeks of little sleep, Elena was still strong. She tried turning, in order to wrench herself free from him, but instead ended up facing him. She tried pulling the gun in to her, but Rufus was trying harder to keep it pointed away.

"Stop it!" she shouted, maneuvering the gun in between her and Rufus.

Neither of them were expecting it to go off when it did.

The gun dropped to the floor with a loud thunk as Elena looked down at the blood spreading across her shirt. She swallowed as she looked at Rufus. It only took a moment for the pain to start.

"Elena," Rufus murmured as she started going limp in his arms. "Elena! Stay with me!" He struggled to keep holding her up, but ended up having to fall to his knees.

"So this is dying," she whispered as she grimaced in pain.

"No, you are not dying! I will not let you die!" Rufus shouted as he laid her down on his lap, trying to examine her wound.

"I didn't mean to kill her," Elena sobbed. "I didn't want to kill her! It all happened so fast." Rufus pulled Elena close to him.

"I know you didn't. And she knows you didn't," he whispered. "You've just got to let it go." Elena looked up into Rufus' eyes as her heart sped up. It was getting harder to breathe.

"I don't want to die," she whispered. "I just want the pain to go away." Rufus cupped her face.

"I know, I know, Elena. I'm going to get help. I'm not going to let you die," he promised. Elena was now breathing in short spurts.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she tried to keep focused on his face, but she couldn't anymore. The pain was too great. Darkness overcame her as she went limp in Rufus' arms.

"No! Elena! Come back!" Rufus sobbed. He quickly pulled out his cell phone and dialed. "I need a medic at Elena's place now!" he shouted at the first person who answered. "She has a GSW. Hurry!" He looked down at her lifeless form.

"Hold on, Elena. For me. Just please, hold on."


	14. Ending the Waltz

Here it is...the final chapter...I can't believe this story is finished. Thanks for the reviews and for reading! I'm glad that there are others out there who enjoyed this story as much as I have. Oh, and I apologized in advance for any cheesiness in this chapter. I tried really hard to get rid of it, but I have to admit that there is a reason that I should probably stick to drama or humor... Enjoy!

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Rufus stood in the sterile hall, motionlessly staring at the plaque on the wall in front of him. His eyes scanned over the name etched plainly across the dull grey of the mausoleum wall. It was a plain grave, but he supposed that it suited the woman who was lying in rest behind the plaque. But then, he didn't even really know her. He glanced next to him, making sure that the person with him was holding up. He could only imagine the emotional milestone the visit to this grave was for her. After being in the hospital for four weeks undergoing extensive physical and emotional therapy, Elena was released. Rufus had stayed by her side the whole time, encouraging her and helping her. The second near death experience was apparently what she had needed to coax her out of the prison she had created for herself. She still had a long way to go, but she was making progress.

Elena pulled her long black overcoat tighter around her slight body to ward off a chill, grimacing slightly as her still injured shoulder ached. The tears began falling as the memories flinted through her mind.

"Just let it out," Rufus said softly at her side.

"I did this," she whispered. "I'm a monster." Rufus put his arm around her and pulled her close.

"You're not a monster," he whispered. "You only did what you thought was right." Elena stared at the grave.

"I don't know if I can ever forgive myself," she whispered, wiping at the tears. Ever since Rufus forced her to confront her demons, the tears didn't seem to stop falling. Elena hadn't even realized that she never cried after the accident until a few weeks ago.

"She forgave you," he said. "There in the end. Do you remember what she said to you?" he asked. Elena nodded.

"Yes," she said softly. They stood in silence a few moments.

"There is something else," he said, as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "This was with a box of things that Reno pulled from her apartment after the accident. He hid it to keep you out of trouble." Elena took the paper from him and opened it.

_To my dearest friend,_

_I write this letter to you, to tell you the truth. The truth that I am too coward to tell you to your face. I don't know if you will ever find it in your heart to forgive me._

_I am not who I say I am. I am not a doctor. In fact, I am the very villain that you seek to destroy. I am Gin._

_When I met you, I knew that our destinies would intertwine in a way that would scar both of our hearts. But I was selfish. I had never experienced true friendship and you became such a dear friend to me, a sister even. For once I followed my heart, not my mind. And because of that, I fear I have destroyed us both. _

_Forgive me, my sister, for what I have done. I know I don't deserve it, but I ask for it all the same. Keeping this secret has torn my heart to shreds. It has sickened and tortured me, almost as much as what I have done to those innocent children. No one was meant to get hurt, except for those who are corrupt. The bombs were only to make a statement, not to kill. But I acted on false information from an over-eager insubordinate, and now the blood of those innocents is on my hands. I am a monster and I deserved to be stopped. _

_Which is why I write this letter to you, my dear friend. When you read this letter, I shall be no more. I shall be spending eternity atoning for the sins that I have committed. Forgive me for being the coward that I am. Taking my own life. Bit it is what I deserve. I am too horrible to deserve a death by the hand of one so valiant and true as you and your Turks. Forgive me. Forgive me so that I may have that one peace as I begin my afterlife._

_Your Dearest Friend,_

_Merlene_

Elena wiped her eyes as she finished the letter.

"Reno found this?" she asked. Rufus nodded. Elena looked up at him, the tears still falling unchecked. "Thank you," she whispered. "Not just for this, but...for everything." Rufus smiled, kissed her forehead and pulled her close to him. Elena caught her breath, still unused to his unexpected displays of affection. After so many months of numbness, being touched- feeling- was a heart stopping experience. "I don't deserve this," she murmured.

"Don't deserve what?" he asked softly.

"You. This. This feeling I get when you hold me," she said.

"What feeling is that," Rufus asked, half in jest, the other half of him hoping he would finally get to hear the words he had been longing to hear.

"The feeling that I'm home when your arms are around me," she said quietly, unsure if she could really tell him everything. It was still too soon, still too new. She still carried some of the sting of Tseng's rejection from all those months ago, even though she now knew that he never meant to hurt her. She wasn't sure if she was ready for something like this so soon after all that she had been through. Rufus sighed and held her tighter, carefully avoiding her shoulder.

"Elena," he whispered.

"No," she interrupted softly. "Don't say anything else. You've already told me how much you love me and you've done so much for me. What have I done for you? Nothing." Rufus smiled.

"This," he whispered. "Being able to hold you like this is enough for me." He lifted her chin to look up at him and tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "Seeing tears...life in those brown eyes where just a month ago there was nothing. That's what you've done for me. That brings me joy." Elena blinked a moment before finally meeting his gaze.

"I still need some time," she whispered. Rufus stared down at the petite blonde. He gently wiped the tears from her cheek.

"I'll give you all the time you need," he said. "I'll wait until the end of time if I need to." Elena laughed softly at his use of the overstated cliche.

"I doubt it will take that long," she said, smiling slightly. "But, I'm sorry in advance for the wait."

"What's this? A smile? I've seen the first smile from Elena in nearly a year. I believe I can die happy now," he joked. Elena laughed, wiping away more of her tears.

"Please, no more joking about death," she said, more serious than joking. Elena stared up at the grinning president, still wondering why he chose her, why he was doing all of this. But then, she decided to stop wondering and go with it. She didn't need to second guess herself anymore. "Just shut up and kiss me, Mr. President. I know you've been dying to do it for quite awhile," she said with a full-blown grin. Rufus stared at her a moment, perplexed, before answering.

"Why, of course, miss." And he did just that.


	15. Epilogue: A Few Months Later

Haha! Got you! Thought the last chapter was it, didn't you? Well, because I simply could not just end it there, I added an epilogue to tie everything together in a nice little bow. :) And seriously, like I could kill off Elena. I was tempted to, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Who am I to break poor Rufus' heart like that? Anywho, I'd like to personally thank Obsessed Jedi Master for all your wonderful reviews. And also anyone else who read the story and liked it enough to review or favorite it. Well, I suppose this it for this story. Hopefully the muses will strike soon and I can get started on something new. XD

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_A Few Months Later..._

"I'm here, boss!" Reno shouted as he walked into the office. "Hey, Elena, how's that-," he paused and looked at Elena's empty desk. "Is she still out?" he asked Rude, who was settling into his desk as Reno stood, still staring at the empty desk. Rude shrugged, not seeming to know anything more than Reno.

"Actually, she's on her way in," Tseng said as he walked out of his office. "The President just called and she's running a bit late." Reno looked at Tseng, perplexed.

"Sorry! I accidentally overslept and my alarm didn't go off!" Elena exclaimed as she burst through the door and ran into Reno. "Oh, sorry Reno," she said as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and walked towards her desk.

"What's this? Elena...with bed head?" Reno said as he followed Elena to her desk. Elena's face turned a bright red as she sat down and turned on her computer.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, trying desperately to ignore his intense stare.

"And, the President calling in to say that you are going to be late," Reno continued.

"Well, it's his fault I was late in the first place. I swear the man doesn't know how to work an alarm clock," Elena said as she looked at Reno with brown eyes blazing. Reno grinned as Elena's eyes widened at the realization at what she had just said. "I, uh,...oh shit," she said collapsing onto her desk as Reno's laughter filled the room.

"You've been caught!" Reno exclaimed as he danced around the room. Even Rude had to smile at his co-workers antics. It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted off the office. The change in Elena was drastic.

"Reno!" Elena cried from where her head was buried in her arms. Reno stopped dancing around and walked over to her. He tapped her head lightly until she looked up at him.

"Hey Elena, welcome back," he said softly. Elena smiled, swallowing hard to keep her tears in check.

"Thanks," she whispered. Reno leaned in closer to her.

"And between you and me, I think sleeping with the president has had a good effect on you. If sex was what you needed to come out of your shell, you should have told me a long time ago," he whispered. Elena rolled her eyes and swatted the insane redhead.

"Shut up, Reno. It's time for the morning briefing," she said as she stood and began walking to Tseng's office.

"Ouch, that was cold, Elena. Cold. How could you break my heart like that," he whined as he followed her, rubbing his head. Elena shook her head and walked into Tseng's office. Reno and Rude followed. Tseng stood a moment, quietly observing his three Turks. Rude stood at attention, stoic as usual. Reno pouted as he continued rubbing the top of his head and glancing at Elena. Elena stood calmly, seemingly eager to hear Tseng's instructions. It seemed almost as though the accident had never happened. Though, there was a difference in her. Even though her eyes had regained their warmth, there was still a certain sadness hidden them. Tseng supposed that Elena would carry that sadness with her for the rest of her life.

"All right, here's your new assignment," he said handing an envelope to Rude. "Good job on wrapping up the last one. Read it over carefully and let me know if you have any questions." Rude and Reno nodded. The two turned to leave.

"Um, sir," Elena began. Rude and Reno stopped and turned to look at her. "If it's all right, I'd like to go out into the field with Rude and Reno today." Tseng stared at Elena a moment.

"Are you ready for that?" he asked softly. Elena swallowed, a silent strength running through her.

"Yes. I'm ready," she said without further hesitation. Tseng smiled.

"All right then. You can go with Rude and Reno today," he said with a gentle smile. He then turned to Rude and Reno. "Reno, Rude, you let anything happen to her, and the President will have your ass," he said with a straight face. Elena smiled and laughed silently as Reno saluted.

"Aye-aye, cap'n," he said. He grabbed Elena's arm and dragged her out of the office. "All right, kiddo, let's go for a ride." Laughter erupted from Elena's mouth as she reached back and grabbed Rude's arm.

"Come on!" she shouted. A warm smile graced the stoic's face as he allowed the petite blonde to drag him out like a grade-schooler. Yes, all was slowly going back to what it should be.


End file.
